No Angel
by missvenita
Summary: Underneath the pretty face is something complicated. I come with a side of trouble. But I know that's why you're staying. Because you're no angel. And I love you even more than who I thought you were before. AU. NSFW.
1. The Initial Collision

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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**Hello readers! ****This particular story is AU and does not follow the anime or manga plot-line.**

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_The dawn is breaking_  
_A light shining through_  
_You're barely waking_  
_And I'm tangled up in you_  
_Yeah_

_I'm open, you're closed_  
_Where I follow, you'll go_  
_I worry I won't see your face_  
_Light up again_

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke had been back in Konoha for about three years now. His first year was under house arrest, accompanied by the vigilant watch of ANBU agents 24/7. Starting from his second year, he was relieved of his house arrest very much to his delight, but Kakashi visited him once a month as ordered by the Hokage, while Naruto religiously visited each Sunday for his own pleasure.

Haruno Sakura stayed busy long after the war. After Sasuke's return, she intentionally became even busier. She would be out in the field improving her taijutsu with Lee, meditating with Neji, and sparring with whomever of Konoha 11 that was willing. If she wasn't on the field, she would otherwise be found in the hospital, working over time when staff is short, or in the library studying and practicing new medical jutsu or refining old ones. She would often spend time with Naruto and Kakashi, even Yamato and Sai, because they are her closest family. However, they would always pressure her into spending time with Sasuke, much to her annoyance. She found herself in many awkward situations where the four of them would be together with only Naruto's chatter as a buffer. But even the loudest knuckle headed ninja's ramblings could not cover up the palpable tension in the air.

On this particular day she was not due for work at the hospital until Thursday. And today was only Sunday. Tsunade had ordered, more or less threatened, for her to take a few extra days off due to the fact that she practically lived in her office at the hospital.

Feeling rather lazy for once, she slept in until about noon, went out to meet Hinata for brunch which lasted about 2 hours before the heiress had to leave for her own agenda. Sakura, with nothing else to do, decided to go for a leisurely walk and began wandering about the village, eventually zoning out and letting her feet take her wherever. When her eyes caught a familiar insignia, Sakura came back to reality. She was in the Uchiha compound.

_'It's been awhile since I've set foot here. It still feels as empty as ever. I guess my subconscious thinks I should stop avoiding him too… this is going to be interesting..'_

Sakura walked to the last house of the compound and knocked on the door, inwardly hoping that he wasn't home. Unfortunately for her, an annoyed boxer clad Sasuke opened the door. His eyebrows rose in mild surprise as he caught sight of Sakura. He had felt her chakra signature but wasn't entirely convinced thinking perhaps it was Naruto trying to play a prank since it was Sunday after all, his weekly visiting day. He opened his mouth to say something but she beat him to it.

"A-ano, gomen ne, I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I just thought that maybe we should talk because I don't think I can take another uncomfortable dinner with Naruto and Kaka-sensei. After all, I haven't really spoken to you properly since you've returned… which was about 3 years ago. I figured that since I have nothing to do today, maybe we could fix whatever needs to be fixed between us and get those two off of our backs. Knowing them, I'm pretty sure they've been hounding you about the same topic." said Sakura trying her best to keep an even tone. She couldn't look him directly in the eyes without visibly cringing. She hadn't forgotten looking into his hate-filled sharingan eyes years ago when he tried to kill her.

Sasuke blinked. Sakura has changed, and he's noticed from even before he returned to the village. No doubt she had gotten stronger and was now on the same level as himself and Naruto, but her mannerisms and personality have also changed as he's come to observe. He especially noticed right away that she no longer addressed him with the affectionate '-kun' suffix whether she was talking _to_ him or about him. He didn't know why, but this irritated him quite a bit, especially hearing her add it to other males' names.

"Come in", Sasuke said, opening the door wider for her. She walked past him making her way to the living room. She sat down on one end of the couch while Sasuke sat down on the other end, choosing not to question why she seemed to know her way around his home.

"Were you cooking?" Sakura glancing over to the kitchen when she heard the tea kettle go off.

"Aa." Sasuke disappeared into the kitchen for a few moments before returning with two cups of tea. He handed Sakura a cup as he sat back down with his own.

"Arigato."

Sasuke nodded. Sakura gently blew at her tea and took a sip. She put the cup down on the coffee table and put on her practiced smile.

"How are you Sasuke?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. _'Tch. Fake smiling with me?'_

"Enough with the formalities. You know me better than that. Get straight to the point."

"It's called being polite Sasuke."

Sasuke scoffed, "In all of our history when have we taken to the customs of being polite. Last time I checked Sakura, being polite doesn't include attempted _murder._"

Sakura's eyes narrowed at the vivid memory flashing in her mind. She had tried to kill him herself with a poisoned kunai to appease Naruto of the pain and burden caused by his lifetime promise to bring Sasuke back to her.

"Don't excuse yourself Sasuke. You tried to kill me too."

"Self-defense."

Sakura gaped at him. She wouldn't admit it aloud but he had a point. The rational thing for someone to do on the battlefield is to defend themselves, to kill what was trying to kill them. She glared at him and the smug smirk that began gracing his features.

"Fine. In _our_ case, but you tried to kill Naruto and Kakashi, and well, everyone else for that matter. It doesn't take a _Shikamaru_ to figure out why I've been holding back this conversation for three years."

"Hn."

"Is that all you can say?"

"No."

"Then say something."

"Just did."

"Dammit Sasuke! Talk!"

"Nothing I say can erase what has happened. You know that."

"I _know_ that. But there must be something you want to say about the situation?"

"Sakura. If you don't wish to reconcile with me, then don't, it is your decision and I respect it. You're _obviously_ still not over what happened. So don't force yourself to do things you don't want to do just because others are pressuring you."

Sakura's fists were clenched and she took a deep, rather shaky breath. Her eyes flashed dangerously as she began to speak.

"I'm glad you understand Sasuke. I don't know if I have it in me to forgive you for what you've done. I'm just trying to make an effort for Naruto's sake. You will _never_ deserve Naruto's friendship, not ever. No matter what you've done to him, he still thought of you as his best friend, the _brother _he never had. He never gave up on you even when I did. I owe it to Naruto to at least try because he wants us all to be together. To be the Team 7 we _should_ have been. But you and I both know, that it's not going to be like that. The reality of it is, that things have changed Sasuke, and I don't regret anything I've ever done, and in fact you're part of the reason as to why I'm so successful in my life. If it weren't for the pain you've continuously put me through, I would have never pushed myself to be the kunoichi I am today. So I thank you for that but nothing will ever change between us and I think Naruto is just going to have to learn to live with a broken family, which is better than none."

Without giving him a chance to process her lengthy speech let alone respond, she got up from her seat being unable to stay in the same room as him, and made a beeline for the door, without so much of a glance back.

* * *

As soon as Sakura stepped foot outside of the Uchiha compound, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. As she continued to walk briskly in no particular direction, she felt the anger dissipate, only to be replaced with a sense of anxiety caused by the whirlwind of thoughts in her head.

She had no idea what possessed her to thank the Uchiha. Despite that it was indeed true, that he was the reason she pushed herself to be the very best, she had no intention of letting_ him know_ that. Feeding his ego was the last thing she ever wanted to do. But she's done it. She's given him the secret she's kept to herself; that after all these years, no matter how much she had denied it, not only was he her source of determination, but all of her hard work and everything she's done to climb the ladder of power alongside her teammates, wasn't all for herself, but for_ him_ as well.

Feeling worried and sad, Sakura hung her head only to snap it back up in sudden realization. There was one person she knew she could turn to for comfort, that would understand her on any level, and it was none other than the _other_ prodigy of Konoha.

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Hyuuga Neji was meditating in the garden outside of his bedroom chambers at the Hyuuga compound. His eyes were closed and his body relaxed. This did not mean that he was not alert, so he was able to sense Sakura's chakra signature headed in his direction. Neji opened his eyes and glanced over to the cherry blossom tree growing in the garden.

_'Something is wrong. Could it be a mission? Her chakra levels seem unstable for just a mission summons...'_

Neji and Sakura had dated for quite a few years following Naruto's return from training with Jiraiya. They were serious about each other, and he was planning on proposing to her too. It had begun to go downhill when they were both appointed ANBU positions on a special operations team. She was Captain, and he was second in command. They worked flawlessly together until their emotions began to compromise their missions which led to one mission failure that took it's toll on them. Their relationship ended mutually, both knowing the reason, however they both still hold a soft spot for one another, often showing signs of favoritism to each even in the work field.

After their breakup, they maintained a close friendship, going out on a "date" once a month to catch up with each others separate lives, and when Sakura ever needed to relax, either from stress, or just to fill in her off days, she would meet Neji early in the morning at dusk to their old spot in the garden to meditate or to watch the sunrise together. Going forth to spend the day together eating and having fun like they used to.

Neji had assumed she would have come to him when the Uchiha first returned three years ago, but she had not. She explained to him on one of their dates, that she was busy and didn't intend on wasting her time on a lost cause. He was not surprised at her strong facade, but nonetheless, he knew she could not avoid confrontation with the sole surviving Uchiha forever. It was only a matter of time until she finally faced him one on one.

"Konnichiwa...Neji-kun." Sakura was standing in front of Neji who had moved from the middle of the garden to underneath the cherry blossom tree, his back flush against the tree.

Neji smiled up at her as he motioned with his hands, "Please sit, Sakura."

Sakura's foot nudged his legs which were crossed at the ankles, and he immediately moved his legs to make room for her. She sat between his legs, her own back flush against his chest. Hearing Sakura sigh, Neji smirked and placed a chaste kiss on the side of her face as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"You look beautiful as ever."

"You_ always_ say that, I think it's become automatic for you because if you said any different, I would kill you."

Neji feigned offense. "I am merely an honest man. And I'd like to see you try."

He always thought Sakura was beautiful, he believed her flaws only intensified her beauty because she didn't care about them like she used to when she was younger. She displayed her slightly large forehead proudly with the byakugō right in the center of it. In comparison to her busty mentor, her breasts were small but she was confident in her own body, and to him, that was the sexiest trait any woman could have. Not to mention her intelligence and strength that rivaled his own.

"Don't ask me to heal you afterwards when that day arrives." Sakura looked up at the tree, admiring it's growth from the first time she and Neji planted it.

Neji gave her a playful glare before asking, "Something the matter? It's unusual for you to seek me without prior notice, unless there's a mission?"

Sakura's body slumped, her head was completely on his right shoulder. She looked up at him from her left side and responded,

"I wish, but no, there's no mission. I-I went to see Sasuke today…" her voice trailed off and she felt Neji's body tense.

"How did that go?"

"Not good."

"Did he hurt you?"Neji's anger bubbling ever so slightly, ready to flare at her response. If he finds out that the Uchiha laid a hand on Sakura, the prestigious Uchiha lineage will come to and end for good. Sakura's eyes lowered and unfocused as she began to speak,

"No, he didn't, I'm just upset for what I said during our conversation. He didn't even try to apologize to me or make a peace offering. I know I was being difficult by not showing him he had a chance, but it doesn't mean it's not there! It's a decent thing to do, to apologize after what he put me- everyone, through! But instead of punching him like I should have, I-I thanked him instead." Sakura felt tears stinging her eyes. Neji's eyes widened ever so slightly but kept quiet knowing she had more to say.

"All my success as a kunoichi...all to prove to him that I was good enough as a ninja, that I wasn't useless, to be the opposite of everything he saw me as. I thought I was done with him for good. I thought that I could just forget about it all, but how can I? When everything I do, training, working, all in hopes that I impress him, that he values me as a comrade..." Tears began to slide down her cheeks.

"He's dead." Despite calmly stating this, Neji's blood was at a boiling point. That _fucking_ Uchiha continues to be the source of Sakura's pain and tears. He was intent on destroying all bonds Sakura ever had with the traitor. Sakura sniffled in response to the death sentence Neji had labeled for Sasuke.

"Sakura, look at me." Neji watched a continuous flow of tears flowing from her eyes, and he felt his chest constrict in pain. It hurt him to see her crying, to see the anguish in her eyes. He grabbed her chin with his thumb and forefinger, leveling her line of vision with his.

"Yes he was unfortunately a factor of your motivation, but he wasn't the only one. Naruto, you wanted to stop depending on him. You wanted to save _him_ for a change, to be strong and helpful to him. Naruto depends on _you_ now, and that is quite an amazing feat. Naruto of all people, who never asks for help from his loved ones especially, depends on you! To have his back in combat, to heal his ass when he gets hurt, which is basically every day. He depends on you in missions, to keep everyone together, to keep _him_ together. And let me tell you, Naruto isn't the only one that looks up to you, that admires you, that loves you and that depends on you. Don't you ever let yourself think that Uchiha Sasuke is the sole and defining reason as to who you are today. Do you understand me?"

"Neji-kun... a-arigato gozaimasu. "

Sakura adjusted her body in order to envelop Neji in a hug. Sakura let herself cry freely into his chest to release her emotions for awhile before she began to hiccup which signaled she was all cried out. Attempting to wipe her face, she began to feel embarrassment wash over her.

"Gomenasai, I ruined your shirt and my face must be so unpleasant to look at right now" Sakura began checking her pockets in search of something to wipe her face down instead of using Nejis' shirt.

"I don't _care_, it's just a shirt, it can be washed you know."

Sakura laughed sheepishly, Neji chuckled, happy to hear her laughing, he bent down to kiss her forehead and smirked knowing he was going to regret saying the following statement.

"You shouldn't feel embarrassed Sakura, we used to be lovers, I've seen you naked and with much more embarrassing facial expressions."

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_**The Next Day...**_

Sakura awoke to noise of heavy rain pelting her bedroom window. She groaned, rainy days and mondays always got her down. She decided to remain in bed close to noon, no motivation whatsoever to go out and train in the awful weather. She was still haunted of the previous days' events. She did not want any human contact today, but of course the world was against her in all possible ways because right then and there, she heard loud knocking coming from her door.

Dragging herself out of bed, she scrambled to put on her robe and to quickly answer the door before the person broke the door down from its hinges. Only one person would have the nerve to knock in such a manner, especially on _her_ door on a monday no less, and that would be the one and only, Uzumaki Naruto.

"GOOD MORNING SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto stepped inside closing the door behind him with his foot. He flashed Sakura his signature goofy smile before lifting her petite frame off of the floor in a great big hug.

Sakura flushed, despite being used to intimate hugs from her idiotic best friend, she was still bashful, because he was after all, a man. A tall, good-looking, muscularly strong man.

"Ohayō Naruto, and what brings you to my apartment today?"

After removing his sandals, Naruto made himself comfortable on her couch in the living room as Sakura closed the door.

"I saw Sasuke yesterday."

Sakura froze, _'Oh now, did Sasuke tell Naruto what happened? Is that why he's here?'_

Regaining her composure whilst hoping Naruto didn't notice, she replied as nonchalantly as she could,

"You always see him on Sundays Naruto, that's not exactly news anymore baka." Biting her bottom lip, Sakura was hoping that if she kept her tone light and casual, he wouldn't be suspicious.

"I know. But it was weird though Sakura-chan. When I went inside, he was just sitting on the couch, still in his boxers. Which isn't really new, he's not really allowed out so he doesn't even bother getting dressed. The strangest thing was his facial expression, he looked like he was concentrating really hard, like something was bothering him. I don't know what though, bastard wouldn't tell me what was wrong. Told me not to worry about it."

A serious expression was etched into Naruto's face as he told his story to Sakura, she could see the worry that clouded Naruto's eyes. Naruto didn't like to get serious unless it was absolutely necessary, and he especially disliked when his friends got serious. To Naruto, getting serious, means there's something wrong. And Naruto hates not knowing what's wrong, because he feels helpless, and everyone knows, Naruto always wants to help, _especially_ when it comes to his family.

Sakura didn't know what to say, she had quite a hunch as to why Naruto found Sasuke that way. Maybe her saying thank you to the Uchiha, shocked him. He was probably expecting to get punched, even hospitalized. There was no doubt in her mind, that her infamous violent tendencies had reached his ears _and_ been proven in person at one point or another.

"I don't know what to say Naruto… maybe he was having a bad day?" Sakura sat beside Naruto putting a hand on his shoulder.

"He was weird the whole time until I left. He normally listens to me when I talk, sometimes even offering his opinions or rude and sarcastic comments. But yesterday he didn't say a word, and when I asked for his opinion on something, I had to kick his shin to get his attention. Even then, he just glared at me, and when I repeated my question he looked confused. It was obvious he wasn't listening, but not in the usual ignoring me kind of way that he does sometimes, but in the sense that something bigger was occupying his thoughts."

"Like I said Naruto, maybe he was just having a bad day. Maybe something was bothering him that he just wasn't ready to talk about. I'm sure he'll open up soon enough. Ok?"

Sakura's mind was clouding up with questions of her own, what _was_ wrong with Sasuke? It sounded as if he was really out of it, and it's hard to tune out Naruto since he's so loud. She wasn't sure if it was her doing, and even if it was, what was she supposed to do about it? She thanked him, she didn't insult him, it's not like an apology would work, and then again, she wouldn't apologize to begin with, she didn't do anything to him.

"You're right Sakura-chan. He'll be back his bastard self in no time…I guess we'll just have to wait and see huh? Gonna use your restroom real quick before I go!" Naruto flashed her a toothy smile before he got up and disappeared to her bathroom.

Sakura felt relieved seeing her best friend happy once more. She felt guilty however for lying to him, she wanted to tell Naruto what happened, but if she were to begin now, he might be upset that she played dumb when he was obviously concerned about their former teammate. Not to mention that it might lead to a possible forced confrontation between her and Sasuke, and knowing Naruto, the sooner the better. She couldn't even fathom the idiocy that might escape her mouth once more, and with Naruto as an audience, it's just too much to take in on a Monday.

Sakura sighed, and rose from her seat on the couch. She went to her room and quickly dressed into a light green tank top and a white tennis skirt. As she closed her bedroom door behind her, Naruto had just gotten out of the bathroom and was currently putting on his sandals. Looking at Naruto, she decided that hiding away in her apartment was doing nobody any good, and some air just might help clear her head. She needs to start thinking rationally again to try and appease the situation without making an even bigger mess.

"Ne Naruto? What do you say we go get some lunch together? It's been awhile since we've hung out. My treat?"

Upon hearing this, the blonde tackled the pink haired girl in a death grip of a hug, all the while squealing in delight like a little boy. After releasing Sakura, his face softened and with genuine warmth emanating from his smile, he said,

"You mean, it's_ my_ treat. You should know that already Sakura-chan. In fact…I'd love to spend the day with you… if that's alright?"

Sakura could only smile at the idea, reaching for her rain coat she replied, "Of course baka."

And with that, the two set off to Ichiraku.

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**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

**Let me know what you guys think, leave a review! I'm looking forward to your feedback!**

**Thank you taking the time out to read my story! Happy Reading! :)**


	2. A New Mission Arises, Danger lurks!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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"Hokage-sama…we have a problem."

"It's 3 in the morning, what problems could we possibly have at this un-godly hour?"

Tsunade had once again fallen asleep at her desk. However she was currently being awakened by Shizune whose voice sounded urgent. _'Our enemies truly are evil...to be causing chaos while the whole damn village is sleeping'_

"Hai, what is it Shizune?"

"We received a messenger Hawke, sent by the chūnin team that were guarding the daimyō of the Land of Water. They were attacked by rogue ninja in the Land of Waves. The rogue nin were enraged for some reason when the team ended up being all males. Our chūnin team and the feudal lord are down but alive. The team say that as soon as they're better, they will continue on with the mission."

"Sounds like these rogue nin are looking for someone...I want all members of the ANBU special ops team in my office in the next five minutes. I want Kakashi and Yamato to report to my office as well."

"Yes milady, right away." Shizune turned around and headed for the door.

"And Shizune?"

Shizune paused and turned her head slightly to signal she was listening.

"Bring me the Uchiha as well…"

"…Very well."

At the sound of the door closing, Tsunade rubbed her temples gently. She glanced at the picture frames that sat on her desk. She had four different pictures, one of them consisted of Dan and her younger brother, the other was of her and Jiraiya, one side was of them when they were Genin, and the other was when they were saanin. The third picture was of her and Naruto at a restaurant, that was taken when he returned from his training with Jiraiya. The last picture was of Sakura. She was clad in her ANBU uniform, mask in hand, while the other made a peace sign, she was smiling and sticking her tongue out at the camera. The photo was taken when she made ANBU captain, the proudest moment of her life to date. Tsunade was so proud of her daughter like figure, very much so, but she would often wonder if Sakura was truly happy these days.

* * *

The ANBU Special Ops Unit team consisted of Sakura, Naruto, Shikamaru, Neji and Kiba. All five members reported to the Hokages' office all ready and set to head out. Tsunade looked at the five different masks that rested on each of the ninjas faces. Kakashi and Yamato were on the sidelines patiently waiting for their orders. Last but not least, Uchiha Sasuke was standing awkwardly opposite of Kakashi and Yamato. He was curious as to why he was called since he was not in ANBU, or even allowed to go on missions higher than C rank.

"You have all been brought up to speed with the situation at hand. Sakura, you are naturally in charge as Captain, and your copartner in command shall be Shikamaru. Your mission is to locate our chūnin team in the Land of Waves that was compromised and gather information and any evidence leading to the rogue ninja responsible. If you find anything substantial you shall pursue it, however, if nothing is useful and there are no promising leads, you are to head back to the village with a full, extensive and detailed report of anything you find. Don't forget to send a message regardless to update me on the situation so I can act accordingly here in the village. Uchiha Sasuke is going to be assigned to the team for now, it's about time he does something useful around the village, and seeing as he _is_ one of the sannin, he is no weakling. All there is left is to integrate him into the team. This means cooperation…teamwork. I want no complaints. These are my orders. Leave immediately, prep Uchiha and get him suited Sakura, keep delays to a minimum. You're dismissed!"

Tsunade saw the six young ninja bow in unison and file out of the room one by one until only Kakashi and Yamato were left.

"Was there any particular reason you decided to involve Sasuke on this mission? It seemed to be a fairly easy task for the level that team is at, why bother adding the third Sannin?" asked Kakashi, his one visible eyebrow raised. He knew that Sasuke was itching to go on a mission that was somewhat appropriate for his capabilities as a shinobi and being placed on a mission with the ANBU Special Ops was definitely like an early christmas gift from the Hokage.

Tsunade took a sip of her freshly brewed coffee, she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep knowing that there was a unidentified threat to the village. She'd stay awake for the remainder of the day sending messages to her allies informing them of the situation and to find out if anything happened to their own ninja. Putting her mug down she addressed Kakashi's curious mind regarding the last Uchiha.

"The Elders wanted me to find a way that would prove his worth for Konoha, and placing him on an important mission could either destroy or save him for his re-admittance into fully working for this village again. If he does well in this mission then the elders have no case against him as to expel him as a shinobi. And plus, being on a team with his former teammates and friends, you know for a fact _no one_ on that team will make it easy, they'll definitely make him work since he's an underdog amongst the workings of ANBU."

"I see, I guess it makes sense." Kakashi nodded in understanding, it was about time the Elders made a decision about Sasuke's position within the village. The poor boy underwent house arrest, and was still being monitored and limited as a shinobi by being only permitted a certain amount of missions a week and those missions were geared towards genin teams as experience training, nothing more. The elders were still quite wary of the unpredictable actions shown by Sasuke, despite all the secrets and lies they themselves created to result into the latter of who he is now.

"I hope they all keep their sanity somehow." Kakashi said nonchalantly as he pulled out his Icha Icha Paradise novel.

"Why exactly were the two of us called into your office Hokage-sama?" asked Yamato who realized they weren't given any orders for what they were to do.

"For kicks."

Kakashi chuckled and said "Do you want us to keep a tail on them or something?"

"Actually, yes. It's quite complex, thus why your great minds were called upon this morning."

"Do elaborate, Godaime." This piqued Kakashi's interest enough to put away his book. What kind of complexity required the copy ninja and his creepy pal Yamato.

Tsunade picked up a sand colored scroll. "There's been an abduction."

"I received a message from the Kazekage. He reported that his special ops team had gone missing last Friday. Their dead bodies were found yesterday morning, which was Monday. They left a note attached to one of the bodies, saying they're looking for a specific ANBU member, and will stop at nothing to get her."

"You think they're targeting Sakura?" Yamato's eyes widened when he heard Tsunade say 'her', there were many women in the ANBU but there was only one special ops team for Konoha and Sakura was the only female. He was hoping the Hokage would say no.

"Yes."

"Tell us what we need to do." Kakashi said, his eyes hardening.

* * *

"This feels like a baby sitting mission to me..." Sakura muttered to Shikamaru who smirked in response. The team entered a seemingly normal looking building from the outside. They walked along a corridor and stopped in front of a steal door. Sakura used her teeth to draw blood from her thumb and she pressed it into the pad on the wall next to the door. She then spoke her name loudly, and a few seconds later, an automated voice was heard saying '_authorization confirmed, welcome captain_.'

The steel door opened up to reveal a large office. There was a large white couch in the shape of a circle in the center of the room that was in front of the large desk, which is where Naruto,Shikamaru, Kiba and Neji proceeded to walk towards as they all removed their masks and shoes. There were two large bookcases that were on each side of the door that they just came in through. There were file cabinets lined against the left side of the wall. And opposite that was a mini kitchen and another steel door.

"Alright, so this is our headquarters. We have to get your outfitted with ANBU gear so follow me Sasuke."

Sasuke watched Sakura punch a long pin number in a keypad next to the other door in the room to reveal a large walk in closet.

This particular closet was a combination of utility and clothing, it had a lot of pre packed medic bags, weapons, as well as clean ANBU uniforms. Sakura took a tape measure from a drawer and handed it to Sasuke.

"You're smart ne? Top of our class back in the academy. Surely you can figure out how to take your own measurements and pick out a uniform, the layout of it is fairly simple. Come out and get me when you finish, and I'll issue you weapons."

She tried to keep her tone even without showing how annoyed she was at his presence on this mission, it was unprofessional of her to be mixing her personal feelings with such a simple task as getting him suited up, instead she focused on getting this all done so that they could head out already. She turned on her heel and walked briskly out of the room, Sasuke said nothing and did as he was told, trying not to upset Sakura, as he remembered how their previous encounter not too long ago, had unfortunately turned out.

Sakura took a seat beside Neji, he in turn snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, and she instinctively leaned into his lean body. This action did not go unnoticed by Kiba.

"You know, it doesn't seem as if you two ever broke up. You guys act the same around each other, still publicly affectionate, with the exception of you know...kissing, and sex. Unless, that goes on behind closed doors." Kiba said eyeing the couple as he wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

"Shut it Kiba.

"Aww you can tell us, you guys still get it on don't you?"

"Sakura."

Everyone's attention turned to Sasuke who was not fully clad in uniform, waiting at the entrance to the closet. Sakura reluctantly rose from the couch, and walked past Sasuke into the room. He followed suit, without failing to notice the proximity between her and Neji on the couch, and how he seemingly was not very pleased with what he saw.

"Alright, what kinds of weapons are you most accustomed to using or prefer using?" asked Sakura turning to face him.

"I prefer to use my kusanagi. I'd also like to use the three pointed version of shurikens." Sasuke pointed to the poster that showed the different kinds of shuriken.

"Sure, that's fine."

Sakura handed him two pouches of the shuriken that he requested. She then checked his overall appearance and then went over the glass case of masks. She opened it and reached for the eagle mask.

"I think this would suit you for now. It's an eagle, we unfortunately don't have any masks that resemble snakes, which I know you favor." Sakura handed him the mask and as he was taking it from her, their fingers brushed, during which both felt a tingling sensation from the contact. Sakura cleared her throat as she retracted her hand back to her side.

"You're all set. We'll get going soon. Just follow suit for now ok?"

Sasuke nodded and trailed after Sakura. She locked the door behind her and put her mask on. The boys were already out the door waiting, and as Sakura stepped out, the door closed automatically.

"Alright, I say we get a quick bite to eat before we go, otherwise we're going to be traveling at a sluggish pace. We're all pretty exhausted since we all probably went to bed at midnight or one, and it's only 3:20 AM." Kibas' stomach was growling quite loudly and everyone elses' stomach echoed after. They knew he was right, they were all pretty tired to begin with, and with empty bellies, they'd be even more reluctant to travel at a fast pace.

With a unanimous nod, they all set out to have a bowl of ramen before the long journey.

* * *

"Kiba, you and Akamaru take north positions, Shikamaru take west, Naruto take east. Sakura and I will take south, and Uchiha you will be in the center. Everyone clear?" Neji was the first to finish eating and began relaying the instructions for the travel arrangements.

"Why is Sasuke-teme in the middle? We're not guarding him." Naruto asked through a mouthful of ramen.

"That's true Naruto, but you're forgetting that Sasuke is well known throughout the shinobi world in a negative light, so it's best to keep him out of plain sight for now in case an enemy of his sights him and wants to fight. That's going to cause trouble for us in terms of time and energy, it's best to avoid that since we don't exactly know what kind of mission we're really dealing with."

"Good point Sakura-chan, you're so smart!"

"Actually Naruto, it's just common sense." Shikamaru smirked.

"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSE TO MEAN? I HAVE COMMON SENSE, I'M IN LINE TO BE THE NEXT HOKAGE!"

"We're doomed," voiced Neji.

"Hai, hai, let's get going. Is everyone finished eating?" Sakura got up from the barstool adjusting her hitai-ate. She glanced at Sasuke, his head slightly bowed, staring at his bowl of ramen which still seemed quite full. Naruto seemed to also notice as he finished up with his 3rd bowl.

"Teme, aren't you hungry?"

Sasuke's head snapped up, "No."

"Just finish the bowl whether or not you have an appetite, that's an order as your captain, you're going to need the energy. This is your first mission, take it more seriously." Sakura intoned as she sat back down. Scowling at her orders, Sasuke picked up his chopsticks and resumed eating the remainder of his ramen.

"Did anyone notice how worried the Hokage looked while she was relaying the information?" asked Shikamaru. Nodding, Neji added,

"She seemed rattled about the whole mission. We must remain alert at all costs."

"That too, but I think she omitted telling us something. Something important..."

"I didn't notice anything particularly shady in her behavior. It could just be that there hasn't been a real threat to the village in a while, so she's a bit nervous."

Sakura had seen that her former mentor wasn't completely calm about this seemingly simple reconnaissance mission. She understood the reason for Shikamaru's analyzation from all angles, but she didn't have reason to believe there was something the Hokage had omitted during the briefing. She never omits anything unless it was of utmost importance.

"Maybe, I just have a feeling that's all."

"Let's go."

Sasuke was standing, his mask in place, waiting at the entrance of Ichiraku.

* * *

"I want you to tail them from a safe distance. Make sure they can't detect you, if for some reason they do, just make something up. I didn't want to send you with them directly with them, otherwise they would know something bigger is at hand. We don't have any information regarding who those rogue nin are yet, but it's our best bet to have backup close at hand. The Feudal Lord from the Land of Water was making his way over to Suna for a leisurely visit."

"Why did you send Sakura if you knew she's the target, or didn't at least tell her that she was at risk?" Yamato inquired.

"I believe it's better for now that she doesn't know. Anyway, your mission is to provide backup assistance if required, but mainly to make sure Sakura is not taken, I don't think they'll be killing her, not that they can, but knowing her, she will sacrifice herself for the sake of the village-hm? What is it Kakashi?"

"If the Daimyo was heading for Suna, why was he not escorted by shinobi from the Sand or from the closest hidden village, Kirigakure?"

"Gaara has had a shortage of Shinobi since the end of the war, the only teams he has an abundance of, are genin. There weren't any experienced genin that could handle the long journey all the way to Marsh country so he sent a message asking for me to dispatch a chūnin team for the mission. Even though it's not uncommon for genin to be sent on escort missions, they would surely have been killed had he sent them on this escort. The daimyō isn't too fond of the Kirigakure shinobi as of late."

"Sand hasn't been faring all too well since the end of the war have they, and now they've lost their special ops team too. All right Hokage-sama, we'll get going."

Tsunade bid them good luck and safe travels, as the jōnin exited the room. Trying with all her might to suppress the bad feeling churning in her stomach she began to write a message scroll to send over to the Kazekage, updating him on the present situation.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

**Let me know what you guys think, leave a review! I'm looking forward to your feedback! **

**Thank you taking the time out to read my story! Happy Reading! :)**


	3. Beginnings of a Love Triangle

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

**Hello everyone! Here is the 3rd chapter!**

* * *

Sakura and the team reached their destination by sun up and had already finished interrogating the chūnin team and the feudal lord who were recovering in the local hospital. They unfortunately didn't see the faces of their attackers and were shaken up quite badly to relay any other useful information.

The team checked into an inn and were currently in Sakura and Neji's room. The room was a large suite, furnished with half a kitchen, a round table, a television set across from the queen sized bed and lavish bathroom.

Naruto was lying on his stomach on the floor playing with Akamaru, Kiba sitting beside them, was flipping through the channels of the television. Shikamaru and Sasuke were sitting at the table with the chūnin team's mission scroll and maps spread out. Sakura was leaning on the headboard of the bed writing an update scroll to send to the Hokage. Neji was sitting by her feet, eyes closed and meditating.

Bored out of his mind, not able to find anything entertaining on the television, Kiba thought this was a prime time to voice his opinion on the former couple's decision to share a room.

"Say guys, why did we only get 3 rooms? Naruto and Sasuke in one, Shikamaru, Akamaru and myself in the other. How come the lady doesn't get her own room? Or at least bunk with the old Team 7."

Everyone's attention was now on Kiba and his question. Sasuke's eyes darkened, he didn't know they only purchased 3 rooms. He knew he was bunked with Naruto which was a given, since he's the only one on the team that tolerates, let alone likes the sole Uchiha.

_'If there are only 3 rooms and Sakura isn't with me and the dobe, that means she and Hyuuga are sharing...'_

"Kiba, Neji and I always share a room." Sakura said her eyes rolling at Kiba's attempt to put her and Neji in an awkward spotlight.

"Yeah but with Naruto. We're 6 without Uchiha and we'd usually split it into 2 rooms, 3 in each including Akamaru."

"Even if I were to bunk with Naruto and Sasuke, that leaves Neji on his own, and if anyone is going to get their own room, it should be me. But Neji, like you and Shikamaru, aren't too fond with the idea of sharing a room with Sasuke. So that's why Neji and I are sharing a room. It's a lot easier for everyone that way."

"Geez Sakura, you shut me down real fast." Kiba scowled, his plan to tease them completely failed.

Sakura shrugged, "Get a better argument."

Neji gave an inward sigh of relief for Sakura's ability to think on her feet in awkward social situations such as these. He wanted to smack the Inuzuka upside the head for continuously putting both of them on the spot. In truth, Neji was glad he was sharing a room with Sakura, it reminded him of the good days when they were together and happy.

Kiba's head snapped up, "Alright Sakura, I've got one. You and Neji began dating before our team was formed isn't that right?"

Sakura sighed. She was beginning to feel annoyed but decided to humor her friend.

"Yes we started dating about 3 months before I made captain which formed our current team." Sasuke was now listening intently to the conversation.

"Our team as a special ops hasn't been deployed as a whole in over 3 years. Our last mission was retrieving Sasuke which didn't require an overnight stay anywhere. The mission before that was a few months prior, we had purchased 2 rooms as usual, each room with 2 beds, you and Neji were still dating so you naturally shared a bed, with Naruto in the other bed. Isn't that correct?"

"Hai. Get to the point Kiba..."

"You guys broke up between that and the retrieval mission. And have been broken up since. Sharing a room is one thing but why are you two sharing a bed?"

Sakura's eyes widened, her mouth slightly open, letting a small gasp escape at the realization of his point.

"I guess I win this time eh Sakura?" Kiba grinned at her horrified expression. "You don't have to answer, I'm just happy to have finally got ya on something!"

Sakura glared at the back of Kiba's head as he returned his attention to the television, she herself was about to go back to her own work before another voice spoke up,

"Why_ are_ you two sharing a bed?"

Sakura tensed. That voice belonged to Sasuke.

"Why is that any of your business Uchiha?" Neji said, glaring at Sasuke who glared right back.

"Because I didn't know my former teammate resorted to sleeping with men she's not dating, like a common slut."

"How dare you-" Neji had gotten up and grabbed Sasuke by the throat. Sasuke grasped his kusanagi and was dragging it out of its holster.

"Let's take this outside Hyuuga. Don't want to dirty your sheets just yet."

"I wouldn't want your blood dirtying the bed I'll be sleeping in."

"_Enough!_" Sakura made her way to the two boys and grabbed them both by the ear.

"You wanna behave like immature boys, I'll treat you like immature boys. Take a corner of the room and face it. Open your mouth and I'll cut your tongues out. Is that understood?"

Both boys said nothing but did as they were told. Sakura's tone reached a dangerous level and they knew better than to continue their fight in front of her.

Shikamaru cleared his throat and motioned for Sakura to sit with him at the table.

"What have you got so far Shika?"

"Not much really. None of these scrolls have anything we don't already know. We can't even go looking for the attackers because we don't know what they look like. Our best bet is to stick around and scour the area and head back to the Leaf on Friday. We can go undercover and stay hidden while asking the locals if they've seen any suspicious behaviour. What do you think?"

"Sounds like a solid plan. You take Kiba and Akamaru to the outskirts of the town and investigate the area. Keep a watchful eye on people passing through, come back to the inn by midnight if you don't find anything. Bring snacks and water, don't rely on soldier pills, save those for possible combat. The rest of us will take on the town undercover. Concealed radio transmitters on everyone."

Shikamaru nodded in agreement, grabbing the scroll of the map he made his way back to his own room to get changed out of his ANBU uniform into his jōnin attire. Sakura got up and told Kiba to follow Shikamaru.

"Sakura I'm sorry about–"

"Don't worry about it Kiba, it's fine really. I know you meant no harm. Just go, and be careful."

"Hai taichou! Come on Akamaru!"

Naruto who was still sitting on the floor looked up at Sakura and tugged at her hand. She sat beside him and called over Sasuke and Neji.

"Alright guys this is what's been decided. We're going to stay here for a few days and gather any information we can find. We head back to Leaf on friday if there's no lead or anything more we can do here. Shika, Kiba and Akamaru are going to the outskirts of town to investigate the area for any clues left behind by the attackers, they'll be back at the inn by midnight if they don't find anything to pursue. The rest of us go undercover. We ask the locals of any suspicious behaviour or a rise in criminal activities, things of that nature. Naruto and Sasuke act as if you have a mission and are passing through, so wear your regular shinobi attires, not ANBU. Neji and I will act as civilians."

"As a couple I presume?" scoffed Sasuke.

"It works." Sakura said through gritted teeth. It was taking all of her willpower not to punch him into a coma after the slut comment he said earlier.

"Switch partners."

"You and Neji don't work well together–"

"Neji works well with Naruto."

"W-what?"

"Switch Hyuuga with me. Is that a problem?"

"Absolutely not. No switching." Neji glared at the Uchiha.

"Jealous Hyuuga? No need to be, unless you two are dating again?"

"No we're not." Sakura interjected, her mind racing on how to handle the situation.

"Then what's the issue with switching?" Sasuke smirked as he could see a vein appear on Neji's temple.

"Because you're a good for nothing son of a–"

"Fine."

All heads snapped to Sakura who was looking intensely at the floor. Neji being the first to recover from the shock was outraged.

"_What?_ What do you mean 'fine'? You actually believe Uchiha can convince the townspeople and anybody else looking on, that you two are in love and on vacation here?" Neji glared at her.

"Lower your voice baka! We don't need anyone hearing our plans. I think it'll be a good idea to put him to the test, I don't exactly _know_ if he can act but it'll be a good test. See what he's willing to do for the mission and if he does well, then he can be re-instated as a full fledged shinobi and off of our team."

"Seeing if he can act isn't exactly putting him to the test for anything. That doesn't gauge his loyalty or skill. He'll be off of our team regardless if he succeeds this mission or not."

"You don't know that for sure. He may be staying on the team until he succeeds."

"And he may be assigned permanently to this team if he succeeds this first time around."

Sakura glared at Neji. They weren't labeled geniuses for anything.

"I'm captain of this team and that's my final order. You're going with Naruto, Neji."

Neji looked at her in disbelief that she pulled rank over him. His gaze hardened and he rose from the floor. He made his way to the bathroom, and slammed the door closed behind him.

"I'm sorry for all the fighting Naruto. I know you hate it. No doubt he's going to be in a sour mood with you, please bear with him, I'll try to calm him down before you guys go out. Get dressed for now, and Sasuke wear something casual, something you can move in, conceal a few weapons, don't bring any pouches with you though."

"It's alright Sakura-chan. We'll see you guys later. Let's go get changed teme. Let's get breakfast too."

"We already ate usuratonkachi. Entrance of the inn, two hours Sakura."

Closing the door behind her, she listened to Naruto's whining fade as they walked further away from her room.

"That was at 3 teme. It's already 7! I heard this place serves complementary breakfast!"

* * *

Kakashi and Yamato were staying with Tazuna, the old bridge builder and his family, from Team 7's first real mission. Kakashi explained to Tazuna what was really going on, and asked for his cooperation because Sakura was in danger. Tazuna and Inari were more than eager to help, and agreed that if they saw any of the team members, they wouldn't mention Kakashi and Yamato's presence.

"I really appreciate you helping us Tazuna-san."

"Don't mention it Kakashi, you guys are important to our family, we wish we could be of more assistance really."

"What do we do if Naruto or Sakura want to come over to the house?" Inari asked.

"Ah. Good thinking Inari-kun. Divert them. Tell them there's construction going on and there's no where to really sit and talk here. If you happen to meet them in town, you can eat with them at a restaurant or something. I don't think that would arise any suspicion from Sakura, Naruto won't even think twice. If it does or they end up coming here of their own accord, we'll disappear for awhile until they're gone."

"Will do!" Inari saluted him and went to fetch them the breakfast his mother made.

"Say Kakashi, this won't bring any danger to us will it?"

"Of course not Tazuna-san, if it happens to, I will protect you all with my life as I have done before."

"Right, just making sure, because I've done nothing but get older so I can't exactly defend those two you know?" Tazuna chuckled and waved as he exited the guest room.

Yamato turned to Kakashi, "Do you really think Sakura will buy that excuse from Inari or from Tazuna?"

"No, but I'm hoping she will."

"They are probably going to investigate around, so we can't leave this house unless they're coming here."

"We my friend, assume the position of sitting ducks. We wait on alert."

"For Sakura."

"For Sakura." Kakashi gave his friend a smile through his mask, visible from the crinkle of his eye. He didn't like the position they were taking but he knew how Sakura and her team worked, so in order not to blow their own cover, they would be rendered useless for the time being. He was worried for Sakura's safety. He didn't like the sound of someone killing to no end to find her.

'_Who is after you.. Sakura?'_

* * *

Sakura knocked on the bathroom door and tried the door handle. It was locked.

"Neji please let me in. Let's talk."

"What's there to talk about _Taichou_?" Neji spat.

"Please open the door Neji."

"Open it yourself. Use your chakra. I'm in the bathtub."

Sakura's mouth formed an 'o' and let herself in. She saw Neji lying down, soaking in a bath. She took a seat on the tiled rim surrounding the tub itself and looked at him. His eyes were closed but his brows were slightly furrowed.

"Neji..."

"I can't believe you fucking pulled rank on me." Sakura visibly cringed.

"Gomen...I did what I had to do. I believe it's best for the mission and for our teamwork."

"He made you cry the other day and you want to spend the whole day with him as pretend lovers?" Neji's eyes opened to glare at her.

"If it doesn't work out, I can find you and switch back. It's not a big deal, don't make it into one."

"He has a hidden agenda, I can feel it."

"A hidden agenda? To do what?"

"He could hurt you. I just know he's going to do something I'm not going to like."

"Neji, just trust me. It'll be okay, I can take care of myself."

"I never said I didn't trust you and I know that. It's just..."

Sakura couldn't help but blush, she could see all of him through the water. Thankfully he wasn't looking at her at the moment. She unintentionally began to feel a familiar urge occurring between her legs. She crossed her legs but doing so made it worse. She hadn't slept with Neji nor any man since they had broken up. There were nights she would almost go to him but she was able to control herself, however she wasn't so sure how she would fare right now in such close proximity.

"Just what Neji?" She tried to keep her voice even without letting him know of her arousal. She shut her eyes trying to block out the sight of his body which was right in front of her reach.

"I hate him. I mean I know the reasons behind the way he is and it wasn't any of his his fault, but he's a real asshole regardless."

"You were an asshole before you met Naruto. You're still kind of an asshole sometimes."

Neji's eyes opened again and saw Sakura's own eyes closed, her fingers were pulling at her uniform. He quirked his eyebrows and realized soon after, why her face was flushed.

"Why do you fight it?"

This question took her by surprise. She opened her eyes to look at him. And was about to ask him what he meant when he answered her question already.

"Why do you fight being with me?"

"I don't...fight being with you."

"Then why haven't you gone out with any other man since we broke up?"

"Why haven't you gone out with any other girl?" Sakura retorted.

"Because I love you." Sakura's eyes softened.

"Neji... did you think one day we would get back together?"

"I have hope." Neji took her hand in his and pulled her into the water with him.

Sakura felt her arousal intensify as the hot water of the bath soaked her clothes making it cling to her body. She felt his breath on her face as he moved closer to her. She looked at him and saw the same passion filled eyes he had when they both had sex for the first time with each other. She knew her self control was shot by now and she didn't care, she closed the gap, kissing him with the urgent need to feel love.

Neji started tugging at her clothes, his own arousal now evident in the water. She got out of the tub, undressing clumsily. After having stripped off her uniform, she climbed back into the water and straddled him. It felt so good to be in his embrace, and to feel the intimacy she had been craving. She didn't know what this meant, but she couldn't think beyond what she was feeling right now and he didn't seem to be preoccupied with talking about the repercussions this could have. For now they simply made love and let themselves feel bliss.

* * *

**9 A.M.**

Naruto and Sasuke were waiting at the entrance of the inn as planned. They caught sight of Neji and Sakura making their way towards them. Neji looked much more relaxed, daresay even happy which made Sasuke suspicious of the sudden change in attitude. Sakura herself reflected Neji's change in demeanor and that unsettled the Uchiha even more.

"How was the complementary breakfast Naruto?" Sakura asked. She was wearing a pair of white shorts and a light pink halter top, her long hair was out of it's usual bun for once.

"It was delicious Sakura-chan! All you can eat buffet! You have to try their waffles!" Naruto gave her a hug and held out his fist to Neji who lazily hit it with his own fist.

"Oooh I love waffles! Do they have fresh fruit?"

"Yep! All of your favorites!"

"Aww man, I guess I'll have to wait to try them tomorrow."

"We can go now." Sasuke said.

"But didn't you already go with Naruto?"

"It's hard to maintain an appetite seeing the way he scarfs everything down." Sakura giggled as Naruto began yelling at Sasuke who in turn pretended he didn't know him. Neji shook his head.

"Neji do you want to come and eat first?" Sakura looked over at him.

"Iie. I will buy something from outside. Be safe, see you later." Neji gave her a swift kiss on the cheek and headed out with Naruto trailing behind him waving back at her and Sasuke.

"Where's the breakfast lounge Sasuke?" Sakura said looking around the lobby.

"Hn."

He led her to the lounge and sat in one of the booths while she went to fill up her plate. However, she came back to the table with two plates. He raised an eyebrow looking at her.

"You have to start eating Sasuke. Also I think you look kind of awkward in a buffet setting." Sasuke rolled his eyes at her response.

"So what was that about?"

"Nani?"

"Neji was pissed off at you earlier."

"Oh, it's nothing. We just made up."

"You're back together?"

"...No."

"You hesitated. Do you still love him?" Sakura blinked in surprise, she could feel her cheeks heating up.

"Sasuke that's such a personal question." Sasuke scoffed.

"Do you still love me?"

Sakura choked on the waffle she was currently chewing. That wasn't a question she was expecting, or _ready_ for.

"Sasuke! Now is not the time."

"It's not like we're not doing anything mission related right now."

"I–I...don't know."

"You don't know what Sakura?"

"I'll always love Neji...but I don't know how I feel about you."

"Ok."

Sakura's face scrunched up in frustration.

'_That's it? He asked such personal questions and it's just ok? This guy is unbelievable. For a moment there I almost thought we were about to have a heart to heart..."_

"Ok?"

"I don't have anymore questions."

She nodded. Five silent minutes of eating passed and she wasn't even done with her plate. He sat there watching her try to finish all the waffles she piled on her plate, feeling thankful that she didn't put the same amount on his. He attributed this to her remembering his dislike of sweets.

"Ughhh I can't finish this. I want to but there's no more space in my tummy. I feel bad wasting all these waffles..." Sakura finished her glass of juice and looked exasperatedly at her plate.

"Next time don't eat with your eyes." Sasuke reached over and slid her plate towards him.

"A–ano...you don't have to do that, I know you don't like sweets."

"Good. Now shut up and get more juice." Sakura gaped at him as he began finishing off her plate. She got up to refill their glasses with more orange juice. By the time she returned, her plate was clean, identical to his. After finishing their drinks, he got up and took her hand in his and started walking towards the exit.

"Oi–what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm holding your hand. Would you rather my hand be in your back pocket?"

Sakura laughed, playfully hitting his arm with her other hand. He wasn't being a complete jerk this morning to which she was grateful. She entwined her fingers with his instead of leaving them limp and they set off on their mission in good moods.

* * *

**12 P.M.**

"My what a beautiful couple you are!" said an elderly woman selling souvenirs.

"Thank you! We're on vacation, this is such a lovely town!"

Sasuke watched as Sakura chatted animatedly with the stall vendor. Many people had complimented them on how well they looked together as a couple and this made Sasuke feel proud. He _knew_ they looked good together, and so did everyone else that saw them. Sasuke only wish Neji were able to witness the praise.

To Sasuke's own surprise, he found it wasn't that hard to be comfortable around Sakura again. After years of not being around her, they worked well despite of that. It was awkward at first but they fell into their old rhythm. He knew she was still probably pissed off at him, and his comment insinuating she was a slut earlier didn't help his standing amidst their rocky relationship with one another. Watching her now, just babbling away unnecessarily with a stranger made something stir within Sasuke, he couldn't understand what he was feeling. Without realizing it, his stare which was fixated on her, had intensified as he was trying to figure it out in his head.

"Are you alright my love?" Sakura had finished her conversation and noticed Sasuke's unusual gaze at her. They were still in a public place so she kept up the charade and used terms of endearment when referring to him. She walked up to him and placed a hand on his cheek. His eyes refocused on her own and he smirked.

"Aa. It's nothing, I was just thinking of where we could go for lunch. Sorry to worry you."

"Lunch doesn't require that much thought, silly. Are you sure you're alright?" Sasuke could see in her eyes, despite her airy tone, Sakura was genuinely concerned for him. Her strong exterior was gone and it was almost as if he was with the old Sakura. The one who wore her heart out on her sleeve.

"Che. I'm not Naruto. I think before eating just anything. Shall we head out?"

"Hai, we can go now. You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. Really. Let's go." Sasuke kissed her chastely on the lips and reclaimed her hand in his and began walking in search of a place to eat lunch. The streets were rather crowded and Sasuke let Sakura walk in front of him, leading her with his hand on the small of her back.

"Aah!"

The strap on Sakura's sandal had snapped apart causing her to trip. Her body fell forward causing her hair to part and cascade in front of her, in turn exposing her back.

Being directly behind her, Sasuke was able to see her back and saw bright red scratch lines and bruises around her neck trailing down towards her lower back disappearing under the fabric of the top she wore. His eyes narrowed in realization.

'_That's why they're in such good moods after the fight this morning. They had sex... and she let her hair down to try and keep the evidence hidden.'_

Sasuke watched as Sakura reached down to remove the broken sandal from her foot. He decided not to let her know that he knew what happened. He pulled her to the side to avoid getting trampled by rushing townspeople.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but my sandal is broken. I guess I could walk barefoot, but I'm afraid it might attract some looks. What kind of woman on vacation walks around without shoes..." Sakura shook her head as she made an attempt to repair her sandal.

"A woman on vacation usually goes shopping." Sasuke turned his back to face her. "Get on."

"W-what?"

"I'm going to carry you on my back. We'll find a place that sells shoes so you can get a new pair."

"You mean like a piggyback ride?"

"More or less. Get on before I change my mind."

Sakura gaped at him. It was every woman's dream. She was going to get carried to go shopping.. for shoes!

Hearing Sakura's squeal of delight, he felt her arms loop around his neck as she hoisted herself onto his back. After several adjustments, Sasuke walked in the direction to where she was telling him she saw a pair of shoes she liked in one of the stores they had passed.

"Sasuke your hair smells like strawberries."

"That's _your_ hair." Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Are you sure you just don't happen to use the same shampoo as me?"

"I'm sure. Now shut up."

"Well excuse me for trying to make this more enjoyable for you with small talk."

"I prefer silence, or music. Neither of which your mouth can do as I've come to notice."

"Asshole." Sakura pulled at his hair.

"Stop that now or I will drop you."

"You wouldn't dare."

Sasuke's grip on her legs slacked and Sakura felt herself slide down his back.

"Ok ok! I'll stop!"

* * *

**8 P.M**

Naruto and Neji ended their day after Naruto had gotten them kicked out of a bar for having started a fight with an obnoxious drunk group of older women. Neji was pretty annoyed because it could have been avoided had Naruto any decency to keep his comment about their breasts to himself. They were both pretty tired of doing the mundane task of going around making conversation with locals. They found nothing useful so they decided to head back to the inn.

"Neji I have to pee!"

"What are you? A child? Hold it in! We're almost there."

"I can't! Look here's a bookstore cafe kind of place. I'll go really fast!"

Before Neji could reject Naruto's proposal, he was already in the store. Neji scowled and walked in after him. He noticed that Sakura and Sasuke were sitting at a table in the corner. They were sitting rather close, which didn't sit well with Neji. Neji's eyes widened when he saw the Uchiha kiss her, and Sakura kiss him back. His fists clenched, and before he irrationally went up to break them apart and blow their cover, Naruto arrived not having noticed his other teammates, nor Neji's anger and ushered him out the door apologizing for having to urinate.

* * *

**12:30 A.M.**

Sakura used her room key to unlock the door to her suite to find that the lights were still on and Neji was meditating on the bed.

"Long day?"

"We went to the outskirts to pick up Shika and Kiba."

"Aa. Find anything useful?" Neji eyed her warily as she went to the bathroom to prepare a bath.

"Nope. Same with Shika. No leads. Team meeting here at 7 tomorrow morning to discuss our course of action." Sakura was down to her underwear when she walked over to Neji on the bed to greet him.

Neji turned his head from her impending kiss. Sakura frowned.

"Brush your teeth."

"What? What's wrong with you?"

"You have Uchiha germs in your mouth."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Did you use your byakugan?"

"I saw in person. At that bookstore. Around 8. Naruto had to piss."

"Neji, you know it didn't mean anything. We were just acting."

"You kissed him back and that wasn't acting." Neji scowled.

"Neji! You're being ridiculous." Sakura walked over to her bag to get a change of clothes.

"Am I? Then let's talk about this morning. Are we back together?"

"I'm not discussing this right now."

"Tell me right now. Me or him. We'll switch rooms tonight. Say 'I don't know' and I'll just buy another room for myself.

"Neji!" Sakura couldn't believe he was giving her an ultimatum. She had a good time with Sasuke today and it certainly made herself think he wasn't as bad as she thought. At the same time she couldn't stop thinking about Neji and what happened in the morning.

"Sakura..." Neji's head lowered. She heard a low but audible crack in his voice as he said her name and she felt her chest tighten. He was hurting and she knew exactly why.

"Gomen. Forget I said anything." Neji climbed under the covers and turned his back to her.

"Neji.." Sakura whispered. She went over to him and tried pulling him back up to a sitting position. She was met with resistance but she decided to use her strength to which he glared at her.

"That is emasculating." Neji said looking away from her.

"So I've been told...Neji look at me." Sakura took his face in her hands and she kissed him gently on the lips.

"I'm the one that's sorry. Ever since I was 12, I wanted nothing more than to have the attention he gave me today, he was so nice today, it felt like he _cared_. He's not as bad as I thought but it doesn't erase any of my anger at him and it's difficult to trust him. This morning... Neji I've missed you so much... but we broke up in agreement that it was best for our careers.. I just don't know if we should go through that again. You know what happened last time..."

Sakura bit her bottom lip nervously just thinking about the horrible accident that occurred when they failed that one mission.

"It won't happen again. We're not going to let our relationship interfere with a mission."

"Neji, it's already happening. We had a huge argument this morning because of your jealousy."

"That doesn't count. It's different. It was Uchiha's fault, not mine."

"Neji." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Will you be mine again Haruno Sakura?"

"...yes."

Neji was half-joking when he asked her so he looked fairly surprised at her acceptance, albeit almost reluctantly. Before he could question her, she slid off the bed and walked towards the waiting bath subtly swinging her hips in a suggestive manner, bending over the tub she looked back at him,

"Care for an encore?"

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

**What did you guys think? What should Sasuke do when he finds out that they got back together?**

**Don't forget to write a review, I'm looking forward to your feedback! Thank you taking the time out to read my story! Happy Reading! :)**


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